Release Your Temper In The Break Room

February 28, 2018

Have you ever found yourself just wanting to break something? To vent your frustrations and feel the satisfaction of releasing the repressed anger and rage that’s bubbling up inside?

In today’s fast-paced world there are countless factors adding to the stress of everyday life. Whether you’re tired of slaving away with the daily 9 to 5 grind, or maybe recently discovered that your partner is cheating, or you’ve just lost your wallet, sometimes you just want permission to get mad.

Cue – The Break Room.

Founder, Ed, conceptualised The Break Room after feeling disenfranchised and burnt out in his corporate world bubble.

‘No number of resonant ohms was going to put out that white-hot ball of anger in my chest, so I thought I’d just get reckless rather than try and soothe the beast,’ Ed explains. And so, The Break Room was born.

Unlike any experience you’ve had before, revved up punters get kitted up and decked out in safety gear before being passed a bat. They enter a small brick room full of breakables and unleash all their problems in a satisfying frenzy of smashing crockery and technology.

Starting with a small pop up space in Brunswick, Ed trialled The Break Room concept for 6 weeks. After the immense success and interest by media, Ed and the team moved to Collingwood where they now have 2 rooms and welcome a range of clients from the broken hearted to the corporately stressed, and everyone in between.

‘The common thread our customers share is relishing the permission to get reckless without the judgement,’ Ed says.

Interestingly, Ed claims that the over 70% of his customers are female. ‘As a woman, you already face hefty social expectations in addition to not showing anger or being contrarian,’ he explains. And what better way to let it all out with a satisfying hurl of a fragile breakable against a solid brick wall?

Ed relishes in meeting the varied and sometimes over-prepared clients who walk through The Break Room’s doors. He recalls a group who took the time to fill garden gnomes with glitter before heaving them against the wall. ‘Majestic, fabulous and devastating,’ he says. He also remembers one heartbroken batswoman who brought along an old gravy boat gifted by her ex mother-in-law to pelt into the wall. Surely there wouldn’t be many things that would feel more satisfying?

When asked why he thinks people enjoying breaking things, Ed believes it boils down to three things; adrenaline, stress relief, or heartbreak. ‘There’s a unique satisfaction with destroying something because you’re angry. It’s naughty, it’s loud, it’s reckless, all of those things you’re normally taught not to engage in, all in one experience.

The good eggs at The Break Room source the majority of their breakables from Op Shops. The money goes to a great cause and the team discovers some quirky and fun pieces to play with. Ed happily explains that the crockery and glassware are the best picks for an immediate sense of gratification when seeing something burst into pieces whereas technology is better for longer, sustained aggression.

So, what does the future hold for The Break Room? More technology and bigger stuff to smash, of course. Ed shares his vision of getting an old car to beat on. ‘Imagine bashing on a windscreen with a baseball bat! That shit’s not just for Beyonce!’

After all is said and done though, The Break Room crew just want you to leave feeling relieved and happy. Ed would love to explore more of the ‘self-care’ concept in the future to encourage people to use The Break Room as an outlet for stress and aggression, but in the meantime, Ed encourages, ‘Go hard, as you’ve got permission to get a bit Clockwork Orange on some crockery.’

The Glitter Bug is a dating and relationship blogger and podcaster whose first love is the suburb in which she lives; Collingwood. She relishes mazing through the local streets in search of the perfect cocktail, and the perfect man, and can’t say no a night on the town… as long as it’s local. Follow the adventures of The Glitter Bug at http://www.theglitterbug.com.au/